My sister and I had our fifteen minutes of fame. It wasn't good. We were blindsided by strangers looking us up on FB and sending actual hate mail to us, so we locked everything down. This was back in 2007. I haven't had a single problem since then.

That's really creepy that someone would do that...

Also, regarding games: Do you use any "apps" on Facebook? If not, you can turn off the entire app platform.

I need to learn how to do this. I used to use a few, but they're just annoying any more. Not worth my time of day, there's plenty of other puzzle games out there that are much more stable.

I'm just finding that so many businesses are using facebook and I feel like I'm missing out on some stuff. I may have to bite the bullet come fall. I'm too busy in the garden these days to spend too much time on the computer.

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After cleaning out my Dad's house, I have this advice: If you haven't used it in a year, throw it out!!!!.

Go to Settings (the gear icon at the upper right of the Facebook page.Click on Account settingsClick on Apps in the list on the left side of the pageUnder the section "Apps You Use," click "edit" on the right side of the box.A button appears that says "turn off platform." Click it and you're done.

Remember this: Facebook's entire business model is based on sharing as much information as possible. They have no motivation to make it easy for you to lock things down. If you're concerned then don't get an account. I'm on FB but won't post anything that I wouldn't be willing to put on a billboard next to I405 (busiest section of freeway in the US.)

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Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bow lines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

My brother spelled his name backwards for his account so people couldn't find him. Another option.

I'm pretty G-rated in real life, and I keep my FB page super G-rated. Nothing I wouldn't be happy for anyone to know about me. I keep my privacy settings tight, but I don't trust Facebook to keep things private for all time.

Remember this: Facebook's entire business model is based on sharing as much information as possible. They have no motivation to make it easy for you to lock things down. If you're concerned then don't get an account. I'm on FB but won't post anything that I wouldn't be willing to put on a billboard next to I405 (busiest section of freeway in the US.)

Thats incorrect. FB's business model is based on you sharing information with them so they can target ads. And you share information with them by (1) using FB, (2) visiting other sites. That has nothing to do with your privacy settings on Facebook. It doesn't really matter what you share with other people.

Remember this: Facebook's entire business model is based on sharing as much information as possible. They have no motivation to make it easy for you to lock things down. If you're concerned then don't get an account. I'm on FB but won't post anything that I wouldn't be willing to put on a billboard next to I405 (busiest section of freeway in the US.)

Thats incorrect. FB's business model is based on you sharing information with them so they can target ads. And you share information with them by (1) using FB, (2) visiting other sites. That has nothing to do with your privacy settings on Facebook. It doesn't really matter what you share with other people.

It has a lot to do with what you share and what apps you use. That's how they gather information about you. The more you share, the more they know, so they have no interest in making it easy for you to not share. I work with a lot of the software that they use for that mining. They can do a text analysis of the posts that you 'like', allowing them to ferret out product or political sentiment.

Facebook is very publicly anti-privacy. If someone has serious privacy concerns, Facebook isn't the place for them.

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Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bow lines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

Remember this: Facebook's entire business model is based on sharing as much information as possible. They have no motivation to make it easy for you to lock things down. If you're concerned then don't get an account. I'm on FB but won't post anything that I wouldn't be willing to put on a billboard next to I405 (busiest section of freeway in the US.)

Thats incorrect. FB's business model is based on you sharing information with them so they can target ads. And you share information with them by (1) using FB, (2) visiting other sites. That has nothing to do with your privacy settings on Facebook. It doesn't really matter what you share with other people.

It has a lot to do with what you share and what apps you use. That's how they gather information about you. The more you share, the more they know, so they have no interest in making it easy for you to not share. I work with a lot of the software that they use for that mining. They can do a text analysis of the posts that you 'like', allowing them to ferret out product or political sentiment.

Facebook is very publicly anti-privacy. If someone has serious privacy concerns, Facebook isn't the place for them.

I agree. But NOT with what you share with other people. Facebook does not care (in terms of their business model, not culturally) if you use "friends of friends" or "just friends" or "only me" when you check in or share photos or do stuff. As long as you do it on their platform, your privacy settings vis-a-vis other users are irrelevant.

I don't disagree with your broader point - don't post anything on Facebook, or the Internet in general, if you're not ok with that info spreading far and wide. But I think your statement misrepresented how Facebook works, and since there is so much confusion in the general public of how data mining and targeted ads and Facebook settings work anyway, I wanted to clarify.

Honestly I find just having limited friends and limited posts makes it a lot easier. I know that sounds simplistic but the people who seem to have the most problems are the ones with 500 friends and who engage in everything - games, apps, constant posts, likes etc. Keeping it minimal really does eliminate a lot of problesm.

I am like you in that I really only have it to keep in touch with some people I would have a harder time keeping in touch with otherwise.

Honestly I find just having limited friends and limited posts makes it a lot easier. I know that sounds simplistic but the people who seem to have the most problems are the ones with 500 friends and who engage in everything - games, apps, constant posts, likes etc. Keeping it minimal really does eliminate a lot of problesm.

I am like you in that I really only have it to keep in touch with some people I would have a harder time keeping in touch with otherwise.

This is how I use FB as well. My page is only visible to friends, not friends of friends, and the same with my photos, etc. I have, on occasion, made select photos visible to all, like the ones I took at my HS reunion, and then posted on that FB page. You can also set your privacy settings so no one can find you have a FB page by doing a Google, Bing or other search, which I've done.

I think I have my "search for me" setting ON in FB and the ability to send me message open to all, figuring I don't have to accept, reply or do anything I don't want to, with anything I might get from someone not on my friend list, but it still allows someone I may want to reconnect with, to send me something, if they choose.

I have the apps turned off as well; I don't play any games, or anything like that.

I use a nickname for my first name and have never given them any information I'd mind. So it's not a matter of having to find the right way to hide things--because the info doesn't exist. no record of a phone number, address or anything means no way for it to accidentally get out. It's pretty easy to keep it as mainly a messaging service.